Chat
by Tenchi Knight
Summary: A one-shot concocted during a late-night IRC discussion.


Chat

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or any associated characters and I do not earn any form of income  
from this writing.

Connecting to Server...

Connection Established...

Welcome to the Hive...

You are currently in the Terminal...

Server Date and Time: 10/4/2008 02:25:21 AM

USER_22819: /Change Name Wild Rose

Please enter password to authenticate...

USER_22819: ********

Password Authenticated. Welcome back, Wild Rose.

Wild Rose: /Join Forbidden Dreams

Please enter password to enter Secure Server: Forbidden Dreams...

Wild Rose: ********

Password accepted. Welcome to Forbidden Dreams. Your current world status is: Invisible. Your current  
in-server status is: Invisible...

Wild Rose: /List Current Users

Current Users: Corrupt Soldier, Crypto Mole, Alpha Angel, L33T Enigma, Unknown Overlord, Serial  
Cowboy, Dead Phreak, Reverend Soldier, Digital Void, Evil Reaper, Cyanide Overflow X, Network Doom,  
Hex Wizard, Myst Void, Syntax Sniffer, Wild Rose

Reverend Soldier walks over to Wild Rose.

Reverend Soldier: Right on time, Rose. How are things going today?

Wild Rose: Same as always, another day in combat.

Reverend Soldier: And you're not going to share what zone you're in?

Wild Rose: Do I ever? You know the rule, Rev. OpSec must be maintained.

Reverend Soldier: One of these days, Rose, we're going to meet on a battlefield... and I have to wonder  
if we will be allies or enemies...

Wild Rose: Only time will tell, Rev. Only time will tell. How are the kids?

Reverend Soldier: Well. Jamie's at camp for the next week; and Alex is at a friend's house.

Wild Rose: Then what are you doing sitting at a computer while your kids are out of the house?  
Shouldn't you be making up for lost opportunities with your wife?

Reverend Soldier: She told me to wait here while she prepares.

Wild Rose: Lucky you.

Reverend Soldier: Wow. I've gotta go. Later...

Reverend Soldier has left the server...

Cyanide Overflow X: Heh... nice... sounds like he's gonna have a good time tonight...

Wild Rose: I don't even know how you got a password to this server, COX, but you're not welcome here.

Cyanide Overflow X: That's the benefit of being me... I don't need a password... XD

Myst Void: And this is the benefit of being me...

Myst Void walks over and whispers in the ear of a shadowy figure in the corner who nods once.

Executioner has joined Forbidden Dreams...

Executioner: I've got two words for you... Ban Hammer...

Cyanide Overflow X has been removed from the server...

Cyanide Overflow X has been IP banned from the server...

Myst Void: Thank you, Executioner.

Executioner: He's been a troublemaker for some time, and with his admission of hacking, we had  
justification to perma-ban him.

Executioner has left the server...

Myst Void looks over at Wild Rose and then smiles as she walks over to where the young woman is  
standing.

Myst Void: Good evening, Rose. How are you tonight?

Wild Rose: Well, I've had some stress in my life, but right now it doesn't bother me too much...

Myst Void: Why's that?

Wild Rose: It isn't bothering me because I'm here talking to you...

Myst Void blushes.

Myst Void: Thank you, Rose. That really means a lot.

Corrupt Soldier has left the server due to inactivity...

Crypto Mole has left the server due to inactivity...

Alpha Angel has left the server due to inactivity...

Unknown Overlord has left the server due to inactivity...

Dead Phreak has left the server due to inactivity...

Serial Cowboy has left the server due to inactivity...

Digital Void has left the server due to inactivity...

Evil Reaper has left the server due to inactivity...

Network Doom has left the server due to inactivity...

Syntax Sniffer has left the server due to inactivity...

Hex Wizard has left the server due to inactivity...

Myst Void: How come I smell a rat?

L33T Enigma: Why, whatever do you mean?

Myst Void: Did you have a hand in this?

L33T Enigma: Not that I'll admit. =^_^=

Myst Void: Why?

L33T Enigma: Even hardcore black-hats like me have our shining moments...

Myst Void: Thank you, Enigma.

L33T Enigma: You're welcome, Myst.

L33T Enigma has left the server in grand fashion, as always...

Myst Void: I wonder when they'll get around to fixing that...

Wild Rose: Probably never since it will just be changed again.

Wild Rose: /List Current Users

Current Users: Myst Void, Wild Rose

Wild Rose: Seems we're alone...

Myst Void: So it does... (^_~)

Wild Rose: ... Some days I wish I wasn't in the middle of this war...

Myst Void: Why are you there?

Wild Rose: I'm bound by my honor...

Myst Void: But why? Rose, is it really that important that you stay there? You're killing yourself! I can  
tell! You're suffering every time we talk... and when we part ways, it's like your heart is being torn to  
pieces... seeing you hurting makes me hurt...

Wild Rose: Thank you, Myst, but it's the way things are. I can't escape from this battlefield... and if I do,  
I'll either be executed for cowardice and treason by my own people or I will be killed by the enemy...  
either way I'm dead.

Myst Void: We could escape together... I could come to you and we could run away... we could go  
someplace nobody knows you... we could just vanish together...

Wild Rose: If you came where I was, you would be killed. You are not a soldier, you are not a fighter,  
and you would not survive.

Myst Void: Just because I am not a soldier or a fighter doesn't mean I don't have survival skills. I've  
been in hostile environments before on humanitarian efforts and I've always been able to make it out  
alive because people don't attack me. They don't see me as a threat and that lets me negotiate with  
both sides equally.

Wild Rose: You deal with both sides?

Myst Void: My enemy is not flesh and blood. It is suffering, it is pain, and it is sorrow. Whenever I can  
deal with people to alleviate these things, I do so.

Wild Rose: Amazing... you sound just like someone I know...

Myst Void: Who's that?

Wild Rose looks at Myst Void silently, unable to answer her question.

Myst Void: It's all right. I can understand you want to protect them and I can respect that.

Wild Rose: Thank you.

Myst Void inclines her head, a smile turning up the corner of her lips as she thinks of something...

Myst Void: You said you were in Japan?

Wild Rose: Close to it, yeah.

Myst Void: Three days from now I will be at Takeshi's Café on the corner of Shigure and seventh at  
twelve o'clock drinking tea. I'll be wearing a white sundress and a white fedora. If you cannot escape  
the warzone, then we will continue this life... but if you can... I will be waiting for you...

Myst Void walks over to Wild Rose and puts her hand tenderly on Rose's cheek...

Myst Void: I'll see you then...

Myst Void leans in and kisses Wild Rose gently before stepping back, turning around, and walking out  
of the room...

Myst Void has left the server...

Wild Rose: /List Current Users

Current Users: Wild Rose

Wild Rose: /Logout

You are now logged out...

Thank you for visiting the Hive...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Connecting to Server...

Connection Established...

Welcome to the Hive...

You are currently in the Terminal...

Server Date and Time: 10/5/2008 02:15:02 AM

USER_22758: /Change Name Wild Rose

Please enter password to authenticate...

USER_22758: ********

Password Authenticated. Welcome back, Wild Rose.

Wild Rose: /Join Forbidden Dreams

Please enter password to enter Secure Server: Forbidden Dreams...

Wild Rose: ********

Password accepted. Welcome to Forbidden Dreams. Your current world status is: Invisible. Your current  
in-server status is: Invisible...

Wild Rose: /List Current Users

Current Users: Corrupt Soldier, Alpha Angel, L33T Enigma, Serial Cowboy, Dead Phreak, Reverend  
Soldier, Evil Reaper, Hex Wizard, Syntax Sniffer, Wild Rose

Wild Rose: Wow. Slow night...

Dead Phreak: That it is. Rev hasn't said anything in about twenty minutes and CS is about to get booted  
for inactivity.

Corrupt Soldier has left the server due to inactivity...

Dead Phreak: See?

Wild Rose: Yeah. Have you seen Myst?

Dead Phreak: No. I've been bouncing around a handful of servers and I haven't heard a whisper from  
her. Word from one of the admins is she hasn't logged on since she left last night.

L33T Enigma: She hasn't.

Wild Rose: Oh...

L33T Enigma: Is something the matter?

Wild Rose: No...

You have received an invitation to a Private Room by L33T Enigma. Do you accept?

Wild Rose: /Accept Invitation

You have accepted the invitation. Please note that to return to Forbidden Dreams that you must enter  
/Leave Private Chat and that until that time you will not receive any messages which are posted. You  
are now being redirected.

L33T Enigma: Now that we are alone, what really is the matter?

Wild Rose: I don't know if I want to say.

L33T Enigma: Anything you say will be kept in strictest confidence.

Wild Rose: She arranged for a meet.

L33T Enigma: A meet? An IRL meet?

Wild Rose nods.

L33T Enigma: And are you considering it?

Wild Rose thinks for a long moment...

L33T Enigma: You said it yourself. You're in a warzone. If you try anything like that, someone's going to  
die.

Wild Rose: I know... believe me I know... but at the same time I feel if I don't go through with this that I  
will regret it for the rest of my life.

L33T Enigma: Then it seems your mind is already made up. You're going to meet. So where is the meet  
arranged?

Wild Rose: At an outdoor café in Tokyo. She said she would be there at noon the day after tomorrow  
drinking tea and wearing a white sundress.

L33T Enigma: Good place to meet... open and public.

Wild Rose: I'm not worried about getting jumped... if anything, I'm more afraid for her.

L33T Enigma: I'm sure that you two will be just fine. In fact, I would lay even money on it.

Wild Rose: And how can you be sure of that?

L33T Enigma: Because you're not the only one who knows where Takeshi's is at.

L33T Enigma has left Private Chat...

Wild Rose: /Leave Private Chat

You have signed out of Private Chat. Welcome to Forbidden Dreams. Your current world status is:  
Invisible. Your current in-server status is: Invisible...

Syntax Sniffer: Well, well, so you emerge... Have fun? ;-)

Wild Rose: Keep your mind out of the gutter, Sniffer.

Syntax Sniffer: So where's Myst? I haven't seen hide or hair of her.

Wild Rose: She won't be coming back.

Syntax Sniffer: WHAT?!? O_O

Wild Rose: I don't know if it's forever or just until we meet, but she won't be coming back and I doubt I  
will be either...

Syntax Sniffer: But that means... that means we'll be losing our two most beautiful members! (That is,  
aside from me, of course... XD)

Wild Rose: Guess you'll just have to be pretty by yourself, then.

Syntax Sniffer: So when are you meeting?

Wild Rose: In a couple days. Until then, I'll only be popping in to check up on things. Otherwise I won't  
be around. See ya.

Wild Rose waves, then turns around and walks out of the room.

Wild Rose: /Logout

You are now logged out...

Thank you for visiting the Hive...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Connecting to Server...

Connection Established...

Welcome to the Hive...

You are currently in the Terminal...

Server Date and Time: 10/6/2008 02:40:23 AM

USER_21462: /Change Name Wild Rose

Please enter password to authenticate...

USER_21462: ********

Password Authenticated. Welcome back, Wild Rose.

Wild Rose: /Join Forbidden Dreams

Please enter password to enter Secure Server: Forbidden Dreams...

Wild Rose: ********

Password accepted. Welcome to Forbidden Dreams. Your current world status is: Invisible. Your current  
in-server status is: Invisible...

Wild Rose: /List Current Users

Current Users: Corrupt Soldier, Crypto Mole, Nikanor, Alpha Angel, L33T Enigma, Unknown Overlord,  
Serial Cowboy, Dead Phreak, Raging Machine, Reverend Soldier, Digital Void, Evil Reaper, Network  
Doom, Hex Wizard, Syntax Sniffer, Wild Rose

Wild Rose: Enigma, are you on?

L33T Enigma: Yeah, what's up?

Wild Rose: It's about Myst.

L33T Enigma: You want to go PVT?

Wild Rose shakes her head.

Wild Rose: Have you seen her tonight?

L33T Enigma: Nope.

Wild Rose: Oh, ok.

L33T Enigma: Anything else you want to ask?

Wild Rose: No, thank you.

L33T Enigma: Then it's been nice knowing you. Good bye, Rose.

Wild Rose: Bye, Enigma.

Wild Rose: /Logout

You are now logged out...

Thank you for visiting the Hive...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Business men, homemakers, and students made their way along the busy streets as a young woman  
wearing a black trench coat and fedora slipped along between them, her eyes busily darting left and  
right as she moved, feeling as if the eyes of the world are upon her. As she reached the intersection of  
Shigure and seventh, she gazed across the street at the open-air café where she spied a flash of white...  
She took a deep breath and then sighed heavily before walking across the street. Thirty seconds later,  
she reached the shop and walked to the entrance where a young woman approached her.

"Can I help you?" The young woman asked.

"Take me to the young woman wearing a white sundress and fedora." The woman in black said.

"Of course," The young woman said. "Right this way."

She led the woman in black over to the table, and then glanced down at the woman in white before  
looking at the woman in black once more. The woman in black then waved her hand and the server  
walked off quickly.

"Hello, Myst." The woman in black said.

"Hello, Rose." The woman white—Myst—said.

"Whoever thought it would come to this point?" Rose asks.

"I don't know..." Myst said. "I never thought I'd be sitting here talking to you like this..."

"We never do see how things will work until they come together." Rose said.

A young woman walked up to the table wearing blue jeans and a white tee-shirt, her bob-cut brunette  
hair framing her face beautifully.

"Kasumi..." She said, and 'Myst' looks over. "Ranma..." 'Rose' looks at her. "I'm glad this finally worked  
out for you two."

"Nabiki... what are you doing here?" Ranma asked.

"Did she follow you?" Kasumi asked and Ranma shook her head.

"Feh, like I'd have to follow you." Nabiki said. "I knew where you were going long before now. After all,  
you did tell me, Ranma."

"What... no I didn't... wait..."

"That's right." Nabiki said.

"You're Enigma?" Ranma asked and Nabiki nodded.

"Now go, run from this warzone and make a new life for yourselves. I'll hold off the fiancees as long as I  
can." She said. "Get out of here Myst, Rose, and start anew. Drop me a line when you settle down."

"Thank you, Enigma." Ranma said.

"Thank you, Nabiki." Kasumi said.

Kasumi stood and they quickly leave the café while Nabiki smiled and sat down, taking out a small  
netbook from her satchel she had slung over her shoulder...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

THE NEXT DAY...

Ukyo Kuonji stood in line at the airport, feeling more than a bit impatient as she made her way through  
the queue. As she reached the front, she handed her ticket to the woman who looked at it and then  
motioned to a man who walked over to them.

"Ukyo Kuonji?" He said and she nodded. "Please come with me."

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm with the airline." He said. "Your ticket has been modified."

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"You will be taking a flight on a smaller aircraft since the aircraft you were originally intended to fly on  
was overbooked." He said. "We're sorry about the inconvenience, but hope that the change in aircraft  
will make up for the difficulty."

"And what sort of aircraft is it?" She asked.

"A Gulfstream G5," He said.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER...

Ukyo sat comfortably in the seat, her eyes closed as she waited for the flight to take off, when suddenly  
she heard a voice she recognized and her eyes snapped open.

"Shampoo?!" She demanded, looking around.

The 'Fasten Seatbelts' light dinged on and the aircraft began to taxi away from the terminal.

"What you doing here, Spatula girl?" Shampoo demanded.

"I could ask the same of you, foreign rabble." Kodachi said from behind Ukyo.

"Uh... I have a very bad feeling about this..." Konatsu said from his seat next to Ukyo.

The aircraft's engines spooled up and they felt it accelerate then lift off the ground in a steep climb.

"MOUSSE!" Shampoo ordered, and Mousse quickly made his way to the front of the aircraft, tearing the  
cockpit door open to reveal there is no pilot or copilot. Just then, one of the instrument screens lit up  
and he looked at the words which appear.

"You should have left him alone when you had the chance. Now face the wrath of the Reverend  
Soldier." Mousse said, reading the screen, and then the control yolks pushed forward violently, causing  
the aircraft to nose over as the throttle jammed itself in the open position.

They had less than a minute to scream and attempt escape before they slammed into the ground with  
a deafening blast of exploding jet fuel.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

ELSEWHERE...

A young man sat at a computer, his hands hovering over the keyboard as he looked at the digital  
mockup of a Gulfstream G5 control panel and the words 'You Crashed' on the windscreen. He  
minimized the screen and then opens a chat window.

Connecting to Server...

Connection Established...

Welcome to the Hive...

You are currently in the Terminal...

Server Date and Time: 10/7/2008 02:25:21 PM

USER_29486: /Change Name Reverend Soldier

Please enter password to authenticate...

USER_29486: ************

Password Authenticated. Welcome back, Reverend Soldier.

Reverend Soldier: /Join Forbidden Dreams

Please enter password to enter Secure Server: Forbidden Dreams...

Reverend Soldier: ***********

Password accepted. Welcome to Forbidden Dreams. Your current world status is: Invisible. Your current  
in-server status is: Invisible...

Reverend Soldier: /List Current Users

Current Users: L33T Enigma, Myst Void, Wild Rose, Reverend Soldier

Reverend Soldier: Small crowd.

L33T Enigma: I culled the herd.

Reverend Soldier: As did I.

Wild Rose: I don't know if I should thank you or hunt you down for that...

Myst Void: What he did was what he felt was right.

Reverend Soldier: What I did was what I knew was right for you two... it is my way for atoning...

L33T Enigma: What?

Reverend Soldier: I never meant it, Rose.

L33T Enigma: What are you talking about?

Wild Rose: Never meant what?

Reverend Soldier: I never meant it when I would say... 'prepare to die.' Good bye.

Reverend Soldier: /logout

You are now logged out...

Thank you for visiting the Hive...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ryoga closed his computer and slid it into his pack before slipping the satellite uplink in as well. He  
then shook a bit of snow from his coat before picking up his pack and looking around the Himalayan  
Mountains for a moment.

"And where to go from here, you may ask? I will go where the winds of fate lead me..." Ryoga said, and  
walked off into the distance.

The end.

Author's Notes: Yeah. This one-shot was something I cooked up one night when I was working on IRC  
and had a flash of inspiration. I hope you liked it.

TK


End file.
